Marketing is arguably the most important part of listing your property for sale. How else will buyers know it’s available? Different agencies offer different forms of marketing and different methods of payment. Some agents will take your marketing cost out of their commission, while other agencies will charge marketing to you directly.

With this in mind, it is important to remember that as the client it is ultimately your right to decide how your property is marketed. However, it is important to understand the effectiveness of each strategy and why your agent may be pushing for them.

Here are some of the most common marketing strategies you may have seen.

Signboards

Those big boards you see in front of people’s houses that say FOR SALE. Signboards are a brilliant way to let the neighbourhood know your home is ready for the taking. They’re particularly helpful in targeting passive buyers; those who didn’t know they were in the market until they saw the right property.

Online Listings

Once you’re on the internet, you’re everywhere. People searching for a home in your area will see your listing, and this will increase your chances of selling quickly. Online listings typically require professional photos of the property; and depending on your agent, may also require a floorplan or video walkthrough.

Third-Party Websites

These include Domain or realestate.com. Instead of simply having your property listed on the agency’s website, they can push it to third-party sites for a price. Domain pushes your listing through as ads on other websites. You may be deep-diving on Google and see your home appear on an advertisement sidebar on an unrelated website.

Realestate.com is the most popular real estate site there is. Simply Googling an address will take you to realestate.com.  This is a great strategy for attracting people outside of your area, or even on the other side of the country who are looking to move. Using third-party websites allows your listing to be viewed on a variety of other websites, and this increases your sales chances exponentially.

Brochures

Printed brochures expand your reachability to those who don’t have access to the internet, prefer not to use the internet, and the elderly. Brochures are typically displayed in agency windows and handed out at open inspections.

They’re useful for attracting passers-by – a lot of us stop and look at the houses in the window display! Agencies are often visited by developers and landlords searching for new investment properties, and brochures will introduce your property to them!

Conclusion

While there are many more marketing options available, these are the most common and the ones you can expect your real estate agent to recommend. Your real estate agent will use their experience and success with particular strategies in your area to construct your marketing plan, and take into account target buyers and how to reach them effectively.

It is your choice as the seller to accept or deny your agent’s marketing plan. However it is important to consider their experience and the effectiveness of each strategy before simply agreeing or disagreeing.